Idol Hides His Military Service

Waiting room.

"Being last isn’t just all good, huh."

"Right. If rehearsal had been first or middle too, it would’ve been insanely hard."

"Still, it’s nice that we have our own waiting room today."

After finishing rehearsal successfully, we were sitting around in the waiting room, waiting with nothing to do.

In the live broadcast that would start soon, we got assigned the very last slot, thanks to taking first place on last week’s Popular Top Ten.

In a music show where later slots are usually arranged by popularity, the last slot carried a lot of meaning, so at first, both I and the members were just happy about it, but.

Lately, we’d been realizing the last slot wasn’t all that great, either.

Maybe it’d be more comfortable to finish the stage and relax in the waiting room with our minds at ease.

Since we still hadn’t gone on yet, we couldn’t even loosen up, so the long waiting time wasn’t purely comfortable.

Of course, this could be a spoiled complaint.

For rookie singers, even after finishing their stage, they still had to sit around in the waiting room and wait for the other singers’ stages to end.

Knock knock.

"Who is it?"

We had so much dead time that I was just about to tell the members a story about Chu-Han Contention, when I heard the knock.

"Hello, we came to greet you."

"Oh! Yes, come in!"

I thought it might be staff, but it turned out to be a rookie singer coming to greet us, so our manager Park Jiu hurried to answer.

At the same time, she gestured for us to stand up and receive the greeting, and the members immediately got up and checked their outfits.

I stood up from the sofa and checked my outfit too, and—

'This really isn’t an easy world.'

Surprisingly, it wasn’t the first time we’d been greeted by a rookie singer.

-Hello, we’re XXX! Please take care of us!

Every week we did a music show—except for debut week—we’d run into newly debuting idol groups.

Sometimes they were girl groups, sometimes boy groups, but the surprising part was that at least one group debuted every single week.

-It’s not usually this much, but there are kind of a lot of groups debuting right now.

When I asked Yunsik, who knew the idol scene inside and out, he said it was definitely more than usual, but even normally, it was a shocking answer: at least one or two idol teams debut every month.

Dozens of idol groups debuting every year.

But he said you could count on one hand the groups that survived until three years later, past what they called the “cursed third year.”

Competition isn’t easy in any field, but especially in the idol world, even surviving was natural selection itself.

Creeeak.

Just as I was briefly imagining what kind of group would debut today, the door to our waiting room finally opened, and a crowd came in.

A woman and a man who looked like managers bowed lightly to us first, and behind them, four girls walked in.

"Hello, we’re VYNNIA, a newly debuted group. Please take care of us!"

***

'Wow···there’s another kid like Sion?'

Park Jiu went momentarily speechless as she looked at VYNNIA’s members standing in Iam’s waiting room.

VYNNIA.

A name made by combining Victory and Icon, and apparently it meant they had the grand ambition of becoming an icon of victory that represents the era.

'That’s not the important part.'

What mattered more than that grand meaning was the fact that VYNNIA was a rookie girl group under SY.

[SY rookie girl group debut in the first half of the year?]

"A rumor is spreading that SY, the country’s top entertainment agency, is preparing a rookie girl group, drawing attention.

At SY, which has not debuted a girl group since the five-member girl group Identity in May 2010, recently···."

↳Is this a rumor sheet or real? SY rookie girl group debut news isn’t even some annual event, but it comes out every year.

↳But still, it’s true that SY is way past the cycle where a girl group should’ve come out, yeah.

↳I heard they’re planning it by picking only the aces among the trainees.

↳If they’re SY trainees, aren’t they already ace-level?

↳They’re filtering even among those.

The SY rookie girl group debut rumor from about two months ago.

Jiu remembered how Raon had turned pale after reading that article.

-No, is Seyon out of his mind? LYNX is there, and we’re debuting soon too—if they overlap, that’s basically saying they want us dead!

Raon said it was unbelievably unethical, and she’d freaked out, saying she was going to storm into SY herself and demand an explanation. Yunsik and Jiu had struggled for a long time to stop her.

-But is SY really that big?

Raon had stiffened at the news about TSP’s new girl group too, but she’d still gotten through it relatively calmly. So when Raon let out a full-on shriek here, Jiu felt a little puzzled.

TSP and SY were both Big 3 agencies, so she couldn’t understand why there was such a huge gap in the reactions.

-Seriously, if you say that anywhere, people in the industry will look down on you.

But after hearing it from Yunsik, Jiu understood why Raon had reacted so intensely.

SY.

A major domestic agency that created Korea’s first idol group and made idols a trend.

Ever since SY made idols a trend, the top of the idol scene had always been SY idols, and Yunsik said their status was on a different level.

-On TV they say they’re rivals, but if you actually look at it, the gap is so big it’s embarrassing to compare.

Broadcasts might set up a rival narrative, but in reality, SY and other agencies’ idol groups were on levels you couldn’t compare.

Only recently, after TSP and YH each produced a blockbuster group, did they rise as comparison targets. Even then, Yunsik told Jiu it was still SY that sat alone at the very top of the idol industry, and that hadn’t changed.

And—

-SY’s biggest strength is history. Heritage that TSP and YH still haven’t surpassed.

A built-in fandom accumulated by legendary seniors, incomparable to any other agency, and name recognition built by appearing in senior groups’ music videos even during trainee days.

Debuting at SY was basically the same as being born into what people called a “gold-spoon family,” the kind that was trendy these days.

Because of that, Yunsik said that if you asked students outside right now who dreamed of becoming idols which agency they wanted to go to, ninety-nine out of a hundred would say SY.

SY was like the symbol of idols, and that’s why they supposedly selected and trained only the real gems from the countless raw stones that applied.

To the point that the day SY’s debut lineup was decided was even called a festival day at other agencies.

When Jiu heard that even TSP and YH would take trainees who got cut from SY’s debut lineup, it sounded almost absurd.

-The cut lineup gets treated like aces the moment they go to most other agencies.

Only then did Jiu understand Raon’s reaction to the rumor that SY was trying to debut a rookie girl group.

Overlapping with TSP was already bad enough. If they overlapped with SY too, it really would’ve been a disaster for Iam.

And—

"I’ve been rooting for you since you appeared on Idol Ground 100, senior."

"Uh···thank you!"

"Speak comfortably, senior."

"No, it’s only a one-month difference···."

"No, seriously, please take care of us going forward!"

Now that she was seeing that disaster in the flesh, Jiu almost went blank for a second.

If someone asked Jiu to name the prettiest celebrity she’d ever seen in person, she’d always chosen Lee Sion without hesitation.

'Sion is definitely a visual cheat.'

Sion shattered illusions bit by bit with how she acted and talked, but when Jiu thought back to the first time meeting Lee Sion, she remembered getting distracted for a long time just staring at her face. Even now, Jiu’s face still heated up when she remembered it.

And it wasn’t only Lee Sion. Since the other six members debuted through a survival program, Iam was a group that didn’t lose out in visuals anywhere.

Jiu had even felt quietly proud as a manager, thinking they didn’t lose even compared to TSP’s LYNX members.

But— 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

'How did they gather only members like that?'

Facing the four members of VYNNIA, Jiu felt like the pride she’d carried about Iam’s visuals was being threatened.

VYNNIA’s leader, Kaella, had such a sculpted face it felt like she’d stepped out of an animation, to the point you wondered if a person like that could really exist.

The main dancer, Iber, had what you’d call a textbook SY-style visual. She looked exactly like Hyeryeong from G.G, someone Jiu had seen before.

And besides that, there was Sofia, the mixed member who’d come from America, and the Japanese member Mizuhashi Risa.

VYNNIA had no gaps you could pick at visually.

"This is our debut album."

"Thank you! I’ll definitely listen to it, senior."

"Yes, we’ll definitely listen too."

"Then, rest comfortably."

After crowding into the waiting room, greeting politely, and even handing over their debut album, VYNNIA disappeared, saying they would get going.

Watching that, Jiu swallowed without realizing it.

***

"Gahyeon, why are you spacing out like that?"

"Huh?"

"Hey, you aren’t even listening to what I’m saying. It’s about time we go up for the stage."

Gahyeon flinched without realizing it when she saw Lee Sion sitting right next to her, like Sion had come over at some point.

At Sion’s words—saying it was time to go on stage, and playfully poking Gahyeon’s side—Gahyeon finally snapped back and nodded, getting ready to go up.

'That was cool···.'

What distracted Gahyeon so much she even forgot to get ready was VYNNIA’s stage that had been playing on the waiting room monitor.

♬

VYNNIA’s debut stage titled 'Nemea Roar' was shocking.

You can’t deny me

The more you deny it, the bigger the roar grows

I’m the Nemea, Nemea

The golden lion that will swallow you whole

I’m the Nemea Roar

I won’t break, no matter how much you tear me apart

On a golden throne, swallowing your view

My name ringing inside your heart

SY’s signature cryptic lyrics and concept were still there, but even that was absorbed as part of the stage by VYNNIA’s members’ skill.

How could they do choreography that intense without their vocals shaking?

And were they really rookies? Their camera eye work and facial acting were so good it made you doubt it.

Watching VYNNIA’s stage, Gahyeon remembered the shock and emotion she’d felt back when SY singers debuted.

SY.

It was a memory Gahyeon wanted to forget, but the truth was, she’d applied to SY’s regular auditions more than ten times.

When she first dreamed of becoming an idol, her goal had been SY—the place where the idols she admired were.

But she’d been brutally rejected at SY’s auditions every time. After realizing she had no chance of being picked, she’d eventually gone to another agency.

And even at Logic, where she went, she’d been cut for lack of skill, so SY had always been an object of admiration she’d dreamed about.

At one point, jealousy made her belittle SY.

Like, how good did they think they were, being that picky just to pick trainees, calling SY old-fashioned to the extreme.

But after watching VYNNIA’s stage in today’s pre-recording, Gahyeon realized that had been her inferiority showing.

-How are they filling the stage with only four people?

-To fill the stage with four people, you have to dance choreography like that, or it’ll look empty.

-It’s not just the choreography! This song slams in everything from low notes to high notes without caring about the singer! This is a song designed to make you crack!

It wasn’t strange that Shinyu and Yunkyung, who were watching VYNNIA’s stage in the waiting room with her, were making a huge fuss.

Only four people on stage—VYNNIA.

Recently, girl group ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) member counts had been gradually increasing, and it felt like the unavoidable flow of the times.

'The more members you have, the easier it is to bring out each person’s strengths.'

Vocals go to the member who’s good at vocals. Dance goes to the member who’s good at dance.

You put rap entirely on one member, and acting entirely on another.

That way, members can show off what each member is good at, and hide what each member is weak at, raising the stage’s completeness.

And if there are a lot of members, it’s easier to make choreography flashy, too. So the fact that recently debuted idols had more members was practically inevitable.

But as if mocking that trend, VYNNIA went on stage with only four people—without even backup dancers.

Because fewer members can make the stage look empty, VYNNIA filled it with performance choreography even more intense than boy idols.

And VYNNIA’s members showed off their singing nonstop, to the point you couldn’t even tell who the vocal member was.

'Among our members, would it only be Ryujin or Ayeon···and Sion?'

Watching VYNNIA, Gahyeon suddenly felt ashamed.

She was the oldest on the team, but comparing her skill to the younger members felt humiliating inside.

Her skill had grown so much it didn’t even look like the old her, thanks to going through Agbaek, coming to KJ Entertainment, and practicing hard. Even so, compared to the top-tier members, it was still true she was nowhere near enough.

'Am I holding everyone back?'

Seo Ryujin and Ryu Ayeon had skill that would’ve shone even at SY, and Lee Sion, who was chasing right behind them, showed growth so absurd that even calling her a monster didn’t feel like enough.

Kurosawa Yuri brought out the team’s character with solid fundamentals and an appealing vocal. Shinyu had producing ability. And Yunkyung was still young, so her potential to grow was limitless.

On the other hand, Gahyeon felt like, unlike them, she didn’t have anything that stood out.

So maybe that was why.

Sometimes Gahyeon couldn’t help thinking: if it wasn’t her in Iam, but someone more skilled instead, wouldn’t they be doing even better than now?

Even now, watching VYNNIA and imagining that if there were a member better than her, Iam too could make a stage like theirs—no, an even cooler stage—made guilt well up inside her without her realizing it.

Tap.

"Being with Ryu Ayeon rubbed off a coward mindset on you?"

"What?"

Just as Gahyeon was about to sink into deep worry while thinking about VYNNIA’s stage, Lee Sion tapped her shoulder and spoke.

"Just looking at you, you look like you got scared after watching VYNNIA’s stage."

"···You watched that stage and you don’t feel anything?"

Not just Gahyeon—other members clearly looked like they’d been shocked too. But Lee Sion was still acting slick like usual, and by now, that wasn’t even shocking anymore.

"Either way, the main characters are us."

"Main characters?"

"After we landed a hit on LYNX, look at how a stronger opponent shows up right away. This is totally a shonen manga main character cliché."

Sion kept talking with a confident expression.

"The opponent has to be strong for the main character to shine."

"···."

Main character.

Hearing that word—one she’d started thinking was far away from her—Gahyeon felt something wriggle deep inside her chest.

"More than anything, you know this, right, Gahyeon?"

"What?"

"Today, our first place is basically locked."

"So?"

Iam was almost certainly going to take first place on Popular Top Ten—week four, our last music show.

Since LYNX, their biggest competitor, ended promotions last week, they had no proper competitor.

So there was a high chance Iam’s week four would end as a huge record—first place on every music show—and the company and fans were in a festival mood.

"What that means is, for a while, today is the last time we go on the same stage as VYNNIA."

"What are you even—"

"We get first place, they clap behind us. Then we win, right?"

"What? Hey! How can you say something that ridiculous—"

"Think about it. Even if their results are good behind us, we’re the ones who win and run, right? In games too, the person who wins at the end is the boss."

At Sion’s absurd logic, a hollow laugh slipped out of Gahyeon.

"So for now, we throw the first punch and run, then later, when we clash again, we win again."

"You always talk big."

"It’s really time to go on stage now. It’s our last stage, so we have to do it cool."

"···Yeah."

At Sion’s last words, Gahyeon slapped both cheeks and steeled her resolve again.

'Me being lacking, I’ve known that for a long time.'

Her lack of skill wasn’t what mattered.

Like Sion just said, what mattered was finishing their last stage in a cool way for the fans who were waiting.

Getting scared and shrinking back at VYNNIA’s stage—when they weren’t even going to clash right now—was something to be ashamed of as the oldest.

"Let’s go!"

"Gahyeon, why are you suddenly so fired up?"

When Gahyeon, having organized her thoughts, loudly told the members to go up on stage, Ryujin—startled by that voice—asked what was going on all of a sudden.

"Isn’t it exciting to win and run?"

Gahyeon answered with a smile.